An Early Image of Karttikeya from Taxila
By Rabis C. Kar
Summary
The article discusses an early stone sculpture of Karttikeya discovered during the 1934-5 excavations at Taxila, which was initially misidentified as Kubera by A. D. Siddiqi. The author argues that the figure is indeed Karttikeya, based on its attributes: a spear (sakti) in the right hand and a cock (kukkuta) in the left, which are textually associated with Skanda-Karttikeya in sources like the Mahabharata and the Vishnudharmottara. The Taxila sculpture shows Karttikeya standing frontally, holding the spear and cock, with a waist-girdle, a knee-length dhoti, high boots, and an ornamented cap, set within a circular prabhavali. The author dates the Taxila image to the late Kushana period, around the 4th-5th century AD, based on stylistic comparison with Siddiqi’s Taxila potstone figure of Vishnu, which Dr. J. N. Banerjea identifies as one of the latest Gandhara specimens. The article also compares the Taxila figure with a 2nd-century AD standing Karttikeya statuette in the Mathura Museum, noting similarities but expressing uncertainty about the latter’s exact dating due to its worn condition. Iconographically, the Taxila image aligns with the Amshumadbhedagama and A. G. Rao’s descriptions of a two-armed Karttikeya holding a spear and cock. This differs from the Matsya Purana’s description where the left hand rests on the cock. The cock’s association with Karttikeya is linked to a solar connection, as texts like the Markandeya Purana, Vishvakarma-shilpa, and Bhavishya Purana associate Skanda with Surya and Visvakarman. This solar basis may also explain Karttikeya’s depiction in high boots, similar to Surya in north Indian art, as seen in Mathura sculptures of the Kushana period. Finally, the author notes that the Taxila sculpture conforms to the Pratima-manalaksanam text, which prescribes that Karttikeya should appear youthful, almost boyish, with a height six times his face, a proportion observed in the Taxila image. The article concludes that the sculpture is an iconographically significant specimen.
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Conclusion
The Taxila sculpture of Karttikeya stands as a significant early iconographic specimen, stylistically dated to the Late Kushana period. Its identification as Karttikeya is firmly established by the presence of a spear (sakti) and a cock (kukkuta), both attributes explicitly associated with the deity in texts like the Mahabharata and the Vishnudharmottara. The image adheres closely to the iconographic prescriptions of the Amshumadbhedagama, representing one of the earliest known sculptural examples of this specific two-armed type. Furthermore, the sculpture's stylistic parallels with a contemporary Taxila figure of Vishnu suggest a shared workshop. The depiction of the youthful god, complete with a halo and a height approximating six times his face, aligns remarkably with the measurements outlined in the Pratimanalakshanam, underscoring the text's practical application. This convergence of physical attributes, stylistic execution, and textual conformity highlights the sculpture's crucial role in understanding the early development of Hindu iconography.